Over 400,000 residents live in Aurora, Colorado, the third-largest city in the state and a major suburb of Denver.1 The Aurora Police Department (APD) is actively recruiting both entry-level and lateral officers, with approximately 748 sworn officers and 212 professional staff working to keep residents and visitors safe.2 Men and women interested in joining the APD will find information on the application, selection, and training process below.

Aurora Police Officer Requirements

To join the APD, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

  • Be at least 21 years of age by the projected end date of the academy
  • Be a US citizen or a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act
  • Possess a valid driver’s license
  • Possess a high school diploma or GED
  • Have no felony or serious misdemeanor convictions

The APD hiring process opens with an online application, followed by the National Testing Network (NTN) FrontLine video exam and a physical fitness and job functions test. Candidates who advance sit for an oral board interview before receiving a conditional offer of employment. A background investigation then follows, covering a personal history statement, job suitability assessment, polygraph, psychological evaluation, medical exam, drug screen, and final review by the Chief of Police. Applicants who clear every stage receive a final job offer and a seat in the next academy class.3 Lateral applicants with three or more years of prior sworn experience follow a streamlined hiring path, and in-state Colorado POST-certified officers may qualify for the department’s Fast-Track Lateral Program.4 Candidates should also review the Colorado POST list of disqualifying incidents before applying.5

For more information about becoming a law enforcement officer in a city like Aurora, check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on our home page. For full details on each step and to apply, visit the APD recruitment page.

Aurora Police Academy

Entry-level Aurora police recruits complete a 27-week paid academy at the City of Aurora Public Safety Training Center (CAPSTC), a 23-acre joint police and fire training campus with a view of the Colorado Rockies.3 The complex pairs a 40,000-square-foot classroom and skills building with a five-story tower, three scenario buildings, and a driving track, and it is staffed by full-time academy instructors who lead classroom instruction alongside scenario-based practical training. After graduation, newly sworn officers complete the department’s Field Training and Evaluation Program before being assigned to patrol.

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

Starting annual pay for entry-level Aurora police officers in 2026 is $70,000 at the Grade IV recruit step, reaching $119,072 at top step after five years under the department’s 2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Overtime is paid at time and one-half under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and officers also receive shift differential pay and premium pay for holidays worked.6

Service TimeAnnual Base SalaryMonthly Base
Year 1, Grade IV (Entry)$70,000$5,833
Year 2, Grade III$77,532$6,461
Year 3, Grade II$85,669$7,139
Year 4, Grade I$95,107$7,926
Year 5, Grade I(B) (Top Step)$119,072$9,923

Lateral officers start at $95,000 per year with three years of prior full-service police experience, or $119,000 with four or more years, and may test out of portions of academy training through the department’s merit-based Fast-Track Lateral Program.4

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision benefit options for officers and their eligible family members or domestic partners, with the city contributing to every plan. The city provides free life insurance equal to 1.5 times annual salary. Leave begins at two weeks of general leave and scales to five weeks based on years of service, in addition to 160 hours of personal leave, up to 11 weeks of short-term care leave, and up to 40 weeks of long-term care leave.3 Retirement is administered through the Aurora Police Money Purchase Pension Plan (AP-MPPP), with officers contributing 12% of each paycheck and the city matching 100%; officers hired on or after January 1, 2022 may instead elect the Hybrid Defined Benefit component through the Fire and Police Pension Association of Colorado.7 A 457(b) deferred compensation option is also offered.3

In Colorado, employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 15% from 2022 to 2032 (compared with 3% projected national growth for this occupation), with approximately 1,040 new positions added each year on average, according to Projections Central.8 The number of officers hired by APD in any given year is also affected by retirements, resignations, and the city’s public safety budget.

Find open Aurora police officer listings on our jobs board.

Career Advancement at APD

All Aurora Police officers begin their careers in patrol. After gaining experience, officers may apply for specialty assignments — typically carrying the Police Investigator title — or compete for promotion through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain. Specialty assignments available across the department include the Major Crimes and Homicide Unit, Crimes Against Children, the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, K-9, the Metro Gang Task Force, the Gang Intervention Unit, the Metropolitan Auto Theft Team, the Traffic Section, and the Neighborhood Policing Unit. Promotion brings significant pay increases: as of 2026, Detectives earn $130,224 per year, Sergeants $141,745, Lieutenants $162,475, and Captains $177,140.4

Cities and Police Departments Near Aurora

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 4,750 police and sheriff’s patrol officers work in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metropolitan area, with a mean annual wage of $96,990 as of May 2024.9 In addition to positions with the APD, law enforcement professionals in the region can explore opportunities with the Denver Police Department, the Lakewood Police Department, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Centennial, and the Littleton Police Department. For more information about police departments across the state, see our Colorado page.

Additional Resources

Aurora Police Department Contact

1. US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Aurora city, Colorado: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/auroracitycolorado/PST045224
2. City of Aurora, Police: https://www.auroragov.org/residents/public_safety/police
3. Join Aurora PD, Entry-level Officer: https://joinaurorapd.com/entry-level-officer/
4. Join Aurora PD, Lateral Officer: https://joinaurorapd.com/lateral-officer/
5. Colorado POST, Disqualifying Incidents: https://post.colorado.gov/certification/disqualifying-incidents
6. Aurora Civil Service Commission Entry-Level Patrol Officer Job Details, 2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement salary schedule, National Testing Network: https://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/fullJobDetails.cfm?agencyjobid=1193&jobid=1&agentid=746
7. Aurora Police Money Purchase Pension Plan: https://www.apmppp.org/
8. Projections Central, Long-Term Occupational Projections, Colorado (via O*NET OnLine): https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/33-3051.00?st=CO
9. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 Metropolitan OEWS, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2024/may/oes_19740.htm